Cotton-cleaner



.UNITED SATES ATENT GFFTDF..

A. S. EASTHAM, OF WHRTON, TEXAS.

COTTON-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,661, dated March l2, 1861.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, A. S. Basri-IAM, of Wharton, in the county ot'vWharton and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Machinefor Cleaning Cotton Preparatory to Ginning the Same; and T do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part ofthis specification, in which- Figure l, is a side sectional view of myinvention, taken in. the line y, y Fig. 3. Fig. 2, is a transversevertical section of the same, taken in the line .fr a@ Fig. 1. Fig. 3,is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

The invention consists in the employment or use ot' a series ofrevolving brush cylinders, in connection with a card cylinder,

stationary brush and stripping boards, and wire screens; all beingcombined and arranged substantially as hereinafter shown and described,whereby cotton, preparatory to ginning, may have dust, dirt, hulls andall foreign substances separated from it.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A. represents a framing which may be of rectangular form, and,constructed in such a way as to sustain an oblong rectangular box orcase B. and the necessary working parts of the machine. The box or caseB. is

'open at its bottom, and at one end of it there 1s a` hopper C. intowhich the cotton to be cleaned is fed.V

D. is a cylinder' which is placed in the box or case B. and at thebottom of hopper C. This cylinder is-provided with brushes a, at itsperiphery, the brushes being placed in longitudinal rows on thecylinder, the rows being at equal distances apart.

E. F. are two boards which are placed in the box or case B. at rightangles to each other, and each board is provided with a row of brushesZ). In an oblique downward direction from a cylinder D. there is asimilar cylinder G. provided with brushes c. and also two brush boardsH. I. similar to E. F. and having the same relative position with eachother and their cylinder G. Below the cylinder G. and on the sameplanewith cylinders D. G. there is another brush cylinder J. which isconstructed precisely similar to the brush cylinders D. G.

K. K. are inclined boards placed transversely in the box or case B. atsuch points as to leave spaces (Z. immediately belowr the cylinders D.G. Jv. and card cylinder M.

Screen L. is composed ot' wires e. and cylindrical bars The latter maybe of wood and otl larger diameter than e.

M. is a large brush or card cylinder which is placed in the box or caseB. parallel with the cylinders D. G. J. The cylinder M. is oppositecylinder J. as shown clearly in Fig. l, and over the cylinder M. thereare placed two brush cylinders il. N. which are at opposite sides of avertical plane in which the axis of the cylinder M. is placed.

G. O. O. are three brush cylinders, placed in the box or case B. Theaxes of these cylinders are in a horizontal plane, and said cylindersare larger in diameter than the cylinders D. G. J. but smaller thancylinder M. The cylinders O. are also provided with wires LX. betweentheir brushes. Underneath the cylinders G. there are placed concavescreens P. which are constructed precisely the same as the screens L. L.

Q.. Q. Q. are inclined boards which are placed in the box or case B. andare at the front side ot' each cylinder O. These boards have attached totheir lower ends plates g. which extend down nearly to the screens PL asshown clearly in Fig. l.

The brush cylinders D. G. fl. are solid, but the larger brush cylindersO. O. O. are of skeleton form and provided with radial plates 7L.attached to the axes i. These plates serve as fans, and as they rotategenerate a blast within the box or case. it. is a iiue whichcomrminicates with the lower parts of the box or case B.

The operation of the machine as follows: Motion is given the several.brushcylinders, in the direction ot' the arrows, by means of belts j.and pulleys and gearing 70. as shown more particularly in F ig. 3.Gearing however may be substituted for belts, it' desired. The cotton tobe cleaned is fed into the hopper C. The cylinder D. carries the cottonaround part of the stationary brushes Z). Z). ot' the boards E. F. Thisoperation loosens the hulls in the cotton, and a portion of them willdrop through the First space d. The cotton is passed down by the severalcylinders D. G. J. to the cylinder M. and in passing down the hulls areloosened in consequence of the cotton being drawn up around the loweredges ofthe boards F. I. and the baclr-board ax. of the hopper' C. thehulls passing out at the opening d. The brush or card cylinder M.revolves With greater rapidity than the cylinders D. Gr. J. and thecotton is pressed against and made to adhere to the card cylinder M. bythe brush cylinder J. it then passes forward to the brush cylinder N.The brush cylinder N serves as a stripper and knocks hulls and otherforeign substances off from the cotton as it passes under it. cottonfrom the card and delivers it to brush cylinder O. The brush cylindersO. O. O. in their operation are similar to that of the cylinders D. G.J. The cotton is drawn Linder the edges of the plates g. and allremaining foreign substances separated from it. The blast generated bythe plates h. eX- pels all dust and light foreign substances from thecase, the heavy substances aassing through the screens P. L. and downilue A. The cleaned cotton is delivered on an end- Th'e brush cylinderN. takes the less apron R. by which it is carried to the gin stand. TheWires b". of the brush cylinders O. and also the Wires and rods e. j'.of the screens, serve to loosen the dirt and dust from the cotton asthey cause friction as the cotton is drawn over them.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as ne7 and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is;

The brush cylinders D. G. J. brush-boards E. F. H. I. and the obliqueboards K. arranged relativelyvwith each other, as shown, in connectionwith the combined fans and brush cylinders O. O. O. stripping boards Q.and concave screens L. L. P. and card or brush cylinder M; all arrangedfor joint operation substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

A. S. EASTHAM. Vitnesses: J AoKsoN RUST,

BENJAMIN F. LEE.

